All-conquering Wigan have not had things all their own way ahead of the Super League play-offs, but they might just be better off for it.
LEAGUE Leaders’ Shield. Super League Grand Final. World Club Challenge. Challenge Cup.
Over the last twelve months, Wigan have won it all.
And at the time of writing, they are on course to retain the first of those four trophies in the cabinet, the lesser prize but perhaps the biggest achievement, the Shield.
Read all that and you’d think this season has been the same old story, with Wigan continuing to rule over the rest.
Yes, they just about do, and they have to be considered the favourites to go on and win the Grand Final too as things stand. But that doesn’t begin to tell the story of their last few months, especially.
Rewind to Wembley, 8th June. The superstars came out to play on a glorious sunny afternoon as Wigan beat Warrington to claim a record-extending 21st Challenge Cup triumph.
Jai Field played the full game but had actually suffered a hamstring injury in the opening minutes. The lightning fullback missed the next six weeks.
They coped at first. Bevan French moved position, Ryan Hampshire or Jack Farrimond moved in, and Wigan kept on winning, against Castleford, London and Leigh.
French suffered his own hamstring injury, right in the build-up to a home derby with St Helens. No matter – Zach Eckersley stepped, last-minute, into an unfamiliar position at the back and was the best player on the pitch as the Warriors beat their even more injury-afflicted rivals.
Then the dam burst. Wigan lost away at crisis club Hull FC, the biggest shock result of the entire season, and followed it with a 40-4 hammering at the hands of the side they outperformed at Wembley, Warrington.
After losing just two matches in 31 across all competitions, encompassing almost a full year, Matt Peet’s side had lost as many in six days. Worse, hard-hitting first-choice hooker Brad O’Neill suffered an ACL injury against the Wolves.
Happily Field returned the following week and inspired a win over Huddersfield. Leigh were then seen off in a rare Tuesday-night match, before the exertions of playing an extra match told in a heavy defeat at Leeds.
The Headingley result was compounded by a red card and subsequent three-match ban for scrum-half Harry Smith and a season-ending arm injury to back-up Hampshire, stretching the club’s spine to its limit.
Yet they won all three games without Smith – beating Saints again at Magic Weekend with the help of some magic by 18-year-old Farrimond, gaining revenge on Hull FC and then downing Catalans as French made his return.
That put Wigan joint-top of the table with Hull KR going into a crunch showdown between the pair at The Brick Community Stadium and, with their first-choice one, six and seven reunited on the field for the first time since Wembley, they earned a thrilling comeback victory to go clear at the Super League summit and on course for the League Leaders’ Shield.
So it hasn’t been a smooth road, but it has perhaps been all the more rewarding for it.
“It’s a great achievement,” says reigning Man of Steel French of the prospect of retaining the Shield.
“It’s not the same importance as winning the Grand Final but it’s good recognition for the club and the squad, to show that they’ve been the most consistent team throughout the year.
“Although it’s not the big one, it’s a good confidence boost, knowing that you’ve played consistently throughout all of the year.
“Every team has had its ups and downs with injuries and suspensions and whatnot, adjusting to new rules and everything, so it’s a good confidence boost.”
Ups and downs indeed. French believes much credit must go to the likes of Farrimond, Eckersley and their fellow Academy player, hooker Tom Forber, plus centre Adam Keighran who moved into a spine role when required.
“I think they’ve done really well. I know every team has injuries but to have the main spine down for quite some time and the young boys coming in, they’ve handled themselves,” said French.
“In a weird way, I know we haven’t won every game and probably not performed to the best of our ability, but it’s a positive for the young boys that have stepped in that they’ve experienced those hardships and learned the lessons that they’ve learned. They’ll be better off for it the next time we’re in that position.
“I think it’s probably one of our strengths, our depth throughout the whole squad. If you look at every squad, one to 17, at the start of the year it’s pretty competitive. But injuries and suspensions and all those things happen, and I think that’s where we’ve been luckier than other squads.
“The system that the boys have come from, and the recruitment side of things, they’ve done a really good job of it. And a lot of the young boys are from Wigan so to put on the jersey means a lot to them. We’re pretty lucky in terms of that.”
It’s a point reinforced by coach Peet, who has never been afraid to blood youngsters as they come off the renowned conveyor belt at Robin Park.
“I’m really proud of the full squad, of our youth development programme and of a few individuals who have stepped in, probably earlier or more often than we might have predicted,” says Peet.
“We’ll all be better off for the experience, but especially the likes of Jack Farrimond, Tom Forber, Zach Eckersley. Our squad looks so much thicker now. Those lads have proven themselves at this level.
“It makes my job a lot easier. It’s one of the upsides to having players missing, you get to learn about the next crop.”
Another is developing resilience within the squad. While Wigan won’t wish an untimely injury or suspension for Field, French, Smith – or any other first-choice player for that matter – if the worst does happen during the play-offs they can feel more confident of overcoming the challenge.
“I think we’ve been through every combination possible with our spine players particularly, so I do see that as a positive,” adds Peet.
“You’d love to have everyone available every week. The beauty of when you miss them sometimes is you learn to play without them.
“From the team’s point of the view and also the player’s point of view, you realise how fortunate you are to be playing for this team every week, and the team misses the individuals as well.”
French sees another benefit to the seven weeks spent on the sidelines. With time out of the firing line – and it is an uncompromising season for the most successful clubs, with Wigan playing 32 games in 32 weeks up to the end of the regular season – the Australian says he feels fresher now for the season run-in.
“While it’s frustrating not being able to contribute on the field, it could be a plus,” says French.
“Every player will tell you that going through a season of rugby league, you get all those niggling injuries. It was frustrating to watch on the sidelines for that period of time but it was also good to have a break and get the body where it needed to be.
“It’s the business end of the season now and it’s good to be back.”
A great opportunity awaits and all manner of history is possible. With all four pieces of silverware in their possession, Wigan have the chance to make it five and six trophies in a row, not to mention win only the second ever such quadruple in a calendar year (after their own vintage of 1994).
“That’s why people play, to win trophies and awards,” adds French, who should know a thing or two.
“We’ve got them all here. Not many people have done that before and repeated that over, so it’s something to strive for.”
Will more league glory follow world and cup domination? When this current Warriors crop sets their mind to something, they tend to find a way to achieve it.
“We’ve probably had three aims to try and peak for this year,” explains Peet. “We’re into the last one, which is the most exciting one, the end of Super League.
“Everything you do in pre-season training, in your planning, in your recruitment, it’s all done to have players who can play in the big games.”
Through their recent trials and tribulations, they now have plenty more of those. Wigan look as well positioned as ever for more glory.
First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 501 (October 2024)
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